Subject: Dragonfly?
Location: St. Louis
September 17, 2013 8:00 am
I know you’re busy so I tried to figure this out without bugging you (hee hee) but I was unable to identify this thing. When I found this, it was dead so maybe it’s a dragonfly who’s abdomen exploded and dried up?
Signature: Teresa

Saddlebags Dragonfly

Hi Teresa,
Because of the distinctive wing markings, your Dragonfly is one of the members of the genus Tramea which are commonly called Saddlebags. You can read more about Saddlebags on BugGuide.

Subject: Male Pale Snaketail
Location: Grand Teton, Wyoming
August 22, 2013 4:15 pm
Dear Daniel~
Based upon coloration and range data, I believe I’ve identified this dragonfly (in Grand Teton National Park) as a male Pale Snaketail. Comparing it with the one on your site, it looks to be the same. would you agree? Thanks so much!
Signature: Dori Eldridge

Male Pale Snaketail

Hi Dori,
Thanks for you wonderful image of possibly a male Pale Snaketail, Ophiogomphus severus, which looks like the individuals posted to BugGuide.

Subject: Flame Skimmer (Libellula Saturata)
Location: Northern part of Grand Tetons National Park
August 6, 2013 9:24 pm
Greetings!
My family and I just got back from a vacation to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. True to form, I think I took more pictures of insects (and the occasional arachnid) than anything else- they have a rather different crop of bugs out west than we do in our native Missouri. My favorite was this handsome skimmer. He looked like amber in the bright sunlight, and though several of his relatives were zipping about, he was the only one near enough to the bank for me to snap his photo. I had to balance precariously on a small rock in a rapids below a waterfall to do so, though, inching the camera ever-so-slowly closer to keep him from darting off.
Anyway, after a thorough scouring of BugGuide and WTB, I think I’ve got him pinned down as a male Flame Skimmer (Libellula Saturata). I always enjoy WTB, and I hope you enjoy this picture!
Signature: Most sincerely, Helen

Flame Skimmer

Hi Helen,
Thank you for your lovely photo of a Flame Skimmer and your detailed letter. We were away from the office when you submitted this and we are just now catching up on a bit of unanswered mail.

Subject: Never seen before
Location: St.Louis County, Missouri
August 21, 2013 9:31 am
Can you identify the insect I photographed last evening, Aug. 20, 2013, in my front yard of St.Louis County, Missouri? It had partially transparent wings and long white body and fly like head. It didn’t seem afraid and would lift into the air and land again at my feet. on concrete.
Signature: Robyn

Subject: 6 Legged Alien Bug
Location: Near river, Pittsburgh, PA
July 25, 2013 12:04 pm
Hi there! I’ve been trying to identify this bug all day now, normally I don’t have much of a problem figuring out bugs with so many identification websites out there. but this fellow, I can’t even find anything close. Unfortunately, its not a photo of the actual insect, but it’s hollow shell it molted out of at some point. It couldn’t have been that long ago, no longer than a month because I didn’t see these when I went down to the dock on July 4th for the fireworks. I found at least 50 of these empty shells at the edge of walls on the dock by the river, I say 50 because after I saw that many I darted out of there.
I would say they are about 3 inches in size, I wish I could have gotten a reference for its size in the shot but I was afraid to get close to it, even as a shell. They are mostly coupled together in groups of two, all over the walls.
My friends and I eagerly await your response, these things are so freaky!!!
Signature: Sarah Marshall

Wow! Really?! I never would have guessed that in a million years! Thanks so much for the response! I feel safer knowing that there isn’t an alien breed growing outside my office!
Muchly appreciated,
Sarah

Subject: Beautiful Eastern Amberwing
Location: Sarasota, FL
July 25, 2013 9:00 am
Hey,
I caught a rare glimpse of a gorgeous female Eastern Amberwing perched on my lanai!! I’ve included a couple of pictures here, I’ve got some very nice close ups if you want them, I’ll be happy to send them since I’m sure the site reduces pictures a lot. When I first saw it from across my lanai, I thought it was a wasp, here in this part of Florida, wasps look very similar at a glance. It wasn’t moving, and a closer look made me suspect it was possibly getting ready to lay eggs. Very pretty!!
Thanks, love the site!!
Signature: Michelle

Female Eastern Amberwing

Dear Michelle,
Thank you for sending your lovely photos of a female Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera, a species with pronounced sexual dimorphism that is also pictured on BugGuide. Clicking on the photos on our site will enlarge the image in a new window.